Garage door



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patrick Lee INVENTOR.

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AGENT P. LEE

GARAGE DOOR June 22, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 14, 1962 NE E mm Patrick Le'e' INVENTOR.

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June 22, 1965 Filed May 14, 1962 P. LEE

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AGENT United States Patent 3,198,347 GARAGE DO'UR Patrick Lee, Woodside, NY assignor of one-half to Patrick Mclernan, Long Island, NY. Filed May 14, 1962, Ser. No. 194,552 11 Claims. ((31. 160-189) My present invention relates to a door, such as that of a garage, adapted to be closed or opened by the driver of a vehicle having just passed through such door or intending to do so.

Garage doors are known which can be opened and closed with the aid of a pushbutton-controlled electromotor. It has also been proposed to provide means for actuating such motor control by coded (e.g. sonic) signals transmitted from the vehicle so as to spare the driver the necessity of alighting from the car when unlocking or locking the door.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of simple mechanical means, not dependent upon any complex coding device, for controlling such door directly from the vehicle. A related object is to provide door-control means actuatable from a vehicle that are normally (e.g. when the door is closed) out of the way, and substantially out of sight, so as to be less susceptible to tampering and in order not to obstruct trafiic in cases where the door confronts a sidewalk or other path intersected by the driveway leading to it.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide means at a garage door enabling the operator to close the door manually from his drivers seat upon leaving the garage and to reopen it automatically, again without alighting from the vehicle, upon returning.

It is also an object of this invention to provide, in com bination with a system of the character indicated, safety means such as a key-operated lock for rendering the mechanism insensitive to unauthorized operations.

In accordance with a feature of the instant invention I provide, in an automatic system for opening and closing a garage door or other vehicular gate, an actuating member displaceable between a withdrawn and an extended position, this member in one embodiment being coupled with the door in such manner as to be substantially withdrawn in the closed position thereof while being extended alongside the drive path outside the door for convenient operation by the driver; the actuating member so extended is operable to complete a circuit for at least the closing of the door with concurrent withdrawal of this member. Thus, the driver of an automobile backing out of the garage need only reach out to grip the actuating member, preferably an elongated handle projectin substantially horizontally from the door frame, and manipulate (e.g. rotate) it in a predetermined sense to bring about the desired door-closing (and possibly door-opening) operation.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of a treadle which serves to bring about the movement of the actuating member into its extended posi tion either directly or by completing a door-opening circuit when a vehicle is driven onto it in approaching the door. I prefer to link this treadle with a detent within the garage which normally holds the actuating member withdrawn, this detent in one embodiment being a latch which keeps the door closed by mechanical means and is withdrawn simultaneously with the completion of the door-opening circuit. Means may be provided to operate the same latch, and through it a door-opening pushbutton or other switch, via a handle which is locked when the vehicle is in the garage and can be unlocked only with the aid of a specific key. The same key-controlled handle will serve for the locking of the door after the car has been taken into the garage and, besides bolting the door mechanically, may also be used to disable the dooropening switch actuated by the treadle.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of my invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an inside view of a closed garage door equipped with a control system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1, showing the door together with a vehicle halted in front of the garage;

FIG. 3 is a sectional front view taken on the line III- III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view generally similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a modification;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the door in I its elevated position; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the door from the in terior of the garage.

FIGS. 13 show a garage 10 with a door opening 11 framed by its front Wall 1012, this opening being closable by a door 12 here illustrated by way of example as of the roll top type. Rails 13', 13", supported by stays 14, 14" on the inner garage walls, form tracks for two sets of rollers 15, 15 journaled on respective sections of the door 12. The door can be opened, i.e. raised from its substantially vertical position of closure and withdrawn into an at least partly horizontal position below the garage ceiling, in conventional manner by a link 16 suitably coupled to an electric drive motor not shown. This motor can be started in a door-opening sense by a pushbutton switch 17 and in a door-closing sense by a pushbutton switch 18; its operation is arrested in each case by a conventional door-controlled limit switch that has also not been illustrated since this mode of operation is well known per se. A handle 19, provided with a keyoperated lock 29, has a shaft 21 to which an arm 22 is fastened inside the door. Linked to opposite ends of this arm are two sliding bolts 23', 23" adapted to engage fixed eyes 24, 24" on opposite sides of the door for looking it in closed position.

A stud 25 on the inside of door 12 is normally engaged by a latch arm 26 which is pivotable about a pin 27 and urged into its operative position by a spring 28. The latch arm 26 has a bifurcate lower end straddling a crank 29 which is journaled in bearings 3i? within an excavation 31 below one of the posts of the garage-door frame 10a. This excavation is overlain by a treadle 32 which rests on compression springs 33 and bears upon a cam 34 rigid with crank 29. Crank 29 and arm 34 are so shaped that depression of the treadle 32, under the weight of a vehicle 35 in front of the garage door, will swing the crank counterclockwise (as viewed in FIG. 1) to withdraw the latch arm 26 into its dotted-line position in which it releases the stud 25 of door 12. At the same time the head of ram 26 bears upon the pushbutton 17 to start the associated electromotor in a door-opening sense.

A cable 36 is fastened to the door 12 at 3'7 and passes around idler rollers 33, 39, its other end being anchored to a horizontal actuating rod 41 which upon closure of the door occupies a withdrawn position illustrated in full lines in FIG. 2. In this withdrawn position a pair of contractile springs 42, secured to the inner end of rod 41 and to fixed locations on the garage wall, are tensioned to urge this rod outwardly whereby it tends to move into an extended position, illustrated in dot-dash line in FIG. 2, when the door is being opened. In this extended position a handle 41a on rod 41 is within easy reach of the driver of vehicle 35 even when the latter is backed oil the treadle 32. Rod 51, which is slidably and rotatably guided in a sleeve 43 traversing the garage front 10d, can

be turned by this handle 41a sothat an arm 44 on the inner extremity of the rod engages the pushbutton 18 to start the closing movement of the door motor. ensuing closure of the door retracts the arm 41, causing it to resume its full-line withdrawn position.

A tranmission bar 45 onbolt arm 22 is aligned with the head of latch arm 2-6 so as to displace this latch arm N The into its position of disengagement from stud 25, with con- 7 current actuation of door-openingfswimh 17, when the handle 19 is turned fromthe illustrated neutral position in a counterclockwise sense (as viewed inFIG. l), i.e. in a direction opposite that required for the bolting of the door. This causes the door to be opened without use.

of the treadle 52, thus when the car is parked in the garage. The driver then simply enters the car, backs it or a similar switch in the garage itself, such-as pushbutton 18 of FIG. 1, connected in parallel therewith. Pawl 147, in'descending along with door 112, returns the bar 151 to its original position, thereby retracting the rod 141 inits guide sleeve 143. The door may now be bolted, if :desired, in the manner previously described,

out beyond treadle 32 and operates the handle 41a in the v manner described to close the garage. Upon returning, the driver stops the vehicle 35 a treadle 32 to cause the door 12 to be opened. ,7 I 1 Having moved thecar into the garage, the driver on leaving may reach into the door opening from'the outside for manually depressing the pushbutton 18 to start the closing motion. With the door 12 closed, the driver may insert his key into the lock 20 and turn the handle 19 to bolt the door. during this operation the bolt 23", in entering the eye 24", also bears upon a circuit breaker 46 connected in series with the pushbutton 17 so as to render the latter inoperative in the event that another vehicle is driven onto treadle 32. 7

It will be understood that the treadle'32,

for symmetrical operation. 7

Certain details of the aforedescribed embodment, such as the direct coupling between rod 41 and garage door 12 via cable 35 and the rotatability of this rod by means of handle 41ato bring about a desired operation, are

motion but could be started by a manipulation of the rod 41, e.g. through actuation of another switch as.de-. scribed with reference to pushbutton 18, after the'rod has been extended by a treadle-controlled mechanism including, for example, a coupling similar to cable'36j but independent of the door drive. Moreover, the utilization of rod 41 is not limited to physical displacement of such rod. but the latter could also be used as a carrier for an extension of the switching circuit which includesthe linkage 29, 34, the latch arm 26 and the stud can be duplicated on the opposite side of the door, i.e. adjacent rail 13,

there being in this case no need for a circuit breaker 46.

In order to open the door 112 Without depression of treadle132, the usermay subsequently actuate a door handle to operate a switch within the garage connected in parallel with switch 117, in the manner fully described with reference to the pushbutton 17 shown in FIG. 1.

The consequentrising of door 112 allows springs 142 to push the rod 141 forward wherebythe driver, having moved his vehicle out of the garage and beyond treadle 132, will beconveniently able to use his key to actuate switch 118 for closure of the garage door.

'25 It will be noted from FIG. 1 that 5' 7 Other modifications of the system described and illustrated will be readily apparent to persons'skilled in the art and are intended to be embraced in the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: I 7 1 1. A control system for a vehicle-garage entry including a fixed frame lying in a vertical plane,;a door in said frame and mechanism for displacing said door on said frame between an open position and a closed position,

4 said system comprising a longitudinally extending actuating member mounted adjacent said door and coupled therewith while being linearly movable perpendicularly to said plane and transversely to said door substantially parallel to the ground between a'withdrawn position and an extended position upon closure and opening of said door, respectively, said member in its extended position projecting outwardly from the frame and being accessibleto an operator in the drivers seat of a vehicle in front of said door, a treadledepressible by said vehicle in front of said door, first operating means for said mechanism controllable via said member in said extended position for initiating closure of said door, and second'operating means for said mechanism controllable'by said treadle for initiating reopening of said door.

2. A system according tov claim 1' wherein said first operating means comprises ,elect'ricswitch means for the completion of a door-closing circuit upon a predetermined displacement of said. member, said member being a generally horizontal rod rotatable about its axis for actupushbuttons 17and 18. This has been illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 Where the rod 141has a key-operated lock engage an L-shaped bar 151 which is guided by one or' .more sleeves 152 secured to the wall of thegarage. The

upper end of bar 151 is tiedto the cable 136 which passes around idler rollers 138, 139, 140- and, as before, is anchored to rod 141 under tension from springs 142'... Thus,

the tripping of pawl 147 by treadle 132 causes the rod 1 141 to move outwardly into its dot-dash-line position as the bar 151 rises to slacken the cable 136.

noted that in this case the advance of Zthe rod 141 is not ation of said switch means. 7

3. A system according to claim IWherein said second operating means includes a latch normally positioned for engagement with said door, thereby maintaining it in said open position, said latch being mechanically disengageable from said door by said member. V

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein said second operating means furtherincludes a rotatable link coupled with said latch and positioned for rotation by said treadle.

.5. A system according to claim 3 wherein said second operating means further includes electric switch means adjacent said door for the completion of a door-opening circuit operable by'said treadle concurrently with the disengagement of saidlatch from said door, said switch means being positioned adjacentsaid latch for actuation thereby.

6. A system'according to claim 5, further comprising keycontrolled handle means on said door and transmission means coupled with said handle and engageable with said latch for disengaging the latter from said door and with said switch means adjacent said door for concurrent actuation thereof. v I i 7. A system according to claim 6, further comprising bolt means on said door coupled with said handle for locking engagement with said frame in an inoperative position of said transmission means.

8. A control system for a vehicle-garage entry including a frame lying ina vertical plane, a door in said frame and mechanism for displacing said door on said frame between an opened position and a closed position, said system comprising a longitudinally extending actuating member mounted adjacent said door and linearly movable perpendicularly to said plane and transversely to said door substantially parallel to the ground between a withdrawn position and an extended position, said member being mechanically couplable with said door at least in said extended position for movement into said withdrawn position upon closure of said door, said member in its extended position projecting outwardly from the frame and being accessible to an operator in the drivers seat of a vehicle in front of said door, operating means for said mechanism controllable via said member in said extended position for initiating a displacement of said door, and means for displacing said member into said extended position.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein said member is provided with key-controlled electric switch means forming part of said operating means, said switch means being located at an extremity of said member accessible to the operator in said extended position.

19, A control system for a vehicle-garage entry including a frame lying in a vertical plane, a door in said frame and mechanism for displacing said door on said frame between an open position and a closed position, said system comprising a longitudinally extending actuating member mounted adjacent said door and linearly movable perpendicularly to said plane and transversely to said door substantially parallel to the ground between a withdrawn position and an extended position, said member being mechanically couplable with said door at least in said extended position for movement into said withdrawn position upon closure of said door, said member in its extended position projecting outwardly from the frame and being accessible to an operator in the drivers seat of a vehicle in front of said door, a treadle depressible by said vehicle in front of said door, operating means for said mechanism controllable via said member in said extended position for initiating a displacement of said door, and means controllable by said treadle for displacing said member into said extended position.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein said means controllable by said treadle comprises detent means behind said door, said member being spring-urged toward said extended position and being normally maintainable by said detent means in said withdrawn position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 321,386 6/85 Roberts 268-71 1,347,193 7/20 Wade 268-71 1,545,170 7/25 Schmitz 268-71 1,599,728 9/26 Strong 26871 2,131,415 9/38 Woodward 26871 2,143,439 1/36 Friend 26831 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MGSELEY, NORTON ANSHER,

Examiners. 

1. A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE-GARAGE ENTRY INCLUDING A FIXED FRAME LYING IN A VERTICAL PLANE, A DOOR IN SAID FRAME AND MECHANISM FOR DISPLACING SAID DOOR ON SAID FRAME BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION AND A CLOSED POSITION, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ACTUATING MEMBER MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID DOOR AND COUPLED THEREWITH WHILE BEING LINEARLY MOVABLE PERPENDICUALRLY TO SAID PLANE AND TRANSVERSELY TO SAID DOOR SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE GROUND BETWEEN A WITHDRAWN POSITION AND A EXTENDED POSITION UPON CLOSURE AND OPENING OF SAID DOOR, RESPECTIVELY, SAID MEMBER IN ITS EXTENDED POSITION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE FRAME AND BEING ACCESSIBLE TO AN OPERATOR IN THE DRIVER''S SEAT OF A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF SAID DOOR, A TREADLE DEPRESSIBLE BY SAID VEHICLE IN FRONT OF SAID DOOR, FIRST OPERATING MEANS FOR SAID MECHANISM CONTROLLABLE VIA SAID MEMBER IN SAID EXTENDED POSITION FOR INITIATING CLOSURE OF SAID DOOR, AND SECOND OPERATING MEANS FOR SAID MECHANISM CONTROLLABLE BY SAID TREADLE FOR INITIATING REOPENING OF SAID DOOR. 